256 Suggestion

red carnation. Several people glanced at us. Of course he is
very well known in Society. Also, I was looking rather nice,
and I could not help hoping, while Adrian gazed rather absently
over my head, that the shaded candles were staining to a richer
rose the waking wonder of my face.

Adrian was charming of course, but he seenred worried and a
little preoccupied, and drank a good deal of Champagne.

Towards the end of dinner, he said—almost abruptly for him
-—“ Carington.”

“ Cecil,” I interrupted. He smiled.

“ Cissy . . . it seems an odd thing to say to you, but though you
are so young, I think you know everything. I am sure you know
everything. You know about me. I am in love. I am quite
miserable. What on earth am I to do ! ” He drank more Cham-
pagne. “Teil me,” he said, “what to do.” For a few minutes,
while we listened to that interminable hackneyed Intermezzo, I
reflected ; asking myself by what Strange phases I had risen to the
extraordinary position of giving advice to Adrian on such a subject ?

Laura was not happy with our father. From a selfish motive,
Marjorie and I had practically arranged that monstrous marriage.
That very day he had been disagreeable, asking me with a clumsy
sarcasm to raise his allowance, so that he could afford my favourite
cigarettes. If Adrian were free, Marjorie might refuse Charlie
Winthrop. I don’t want her to refuse him. Adrian has treated
me as a friend. I like him—I like him enormously. I am quite
devoted to him. And how can I rid myself of the feeling of
responsibility, the sense that I owe some compensation to poor
beautiful Laura ?

We spoke of various matters. Just before we left the' table,
I said, with what seemed, but was not, irrelevance, “ Dear Adrian,
Mrs. Carington-”

“ Go